Saturday, March 2, 2019

Somebody stop me

This system is basically an unholy hybrid of Into the Odd and a few of my previous experiments here and here.

Design goals:

Remove hit points

Tie combat effectiveness to statistics, which Into the Odd doesn't do

Differentiate weapons without variable damage

Provide interesting tactical decisions in an intuitive way

It's not quite as elegant as I would like (the way you use the injury chart for ranged weapons is particularly clumsy), but overall, how did I do? Any glaring oversights?

Character Creation

Roll 3d6 each for Strength, Dexterity, and Willpower. Saves and non-combat skill checks are roll under these stats. Each level, try to roll over each on 3d6 to increase them by one.

Consult this table for Weapon Skill:

Dexterity Score

3-8

9-12

13-15

16-17

18

Strength Score

3-8

1

2

3

4

5

9-12

2

3

4

5

6

13-15

3

4

5

6

7

16-17

4

5

6

7

8

18

5

6

7

8

9

(The charts kinda got fucked up, but hopefully they're readable.)

Choose equipment according to your preferred method or roll on an Into the Odd-style starting package chart.

Hand to Hand Combat

Combatants make opposing d10 rolls. If they have equal Weapon Skills, they each roll one die. If one combatant has a higher Weapon Skill, he or she rolls one more die. If one combatant has at least twice the Weapon Skill of the other, he or she rolls two more dice. During the first round of engagement, the combatant with the highest-reach weapon adds another die to his or her roll, but after that (until they disengage) the combatant with the highest-speed weapon adds another instead. Compare the two combatants’ highest rolls, and use the difference between them to consult the Injury Chart for the low roller.

Weapon

Reach

Speed

Minor (like daggers)

1

5

Small (like shortwords)

2

4

Medium (like longswords)

3

3

Great (like two-handed axes)

4

2

Pole (like spears)

5

1

Confined Quarters

In cases where the width of the fighting area is less than the length of a weapon extended from the body (use your best judgment), its reach bonus during the first round of engagement does not apply.

Fighting in Ranks

If combatants fight in a line, any reach bonus from their weapons continues to apply after the first round of engagement, except on either end of the line.

Ranged Combat

The shooter rolls a d10 and hits the target if he or she rolls equal to or under his or her Weapon Skill. If the intended target moved in the previous round, the shooter rolls two dice and uses the higher result. If the shooter spent at least one previous round doing nothing but aiming at a stationary target, he or she rolls two dice and chooses the lower result. If the shooter hits, subtract the lowest roll from 10 and consult the Injury Chart.

Armor

For both hand to hand and ranged combat, armor reduces the number used to consult the Injury Table by a certain amount. However, heavier armor reduces the speed of the weapon carried by the armor’s wearer.

Armor

Injury Reduction

Maximum Weapon Speed

Light (like leather)

1

5

Medium (like chain)

2

4

Heavy (like plate)

3

3

Armor Piercing

Longbows, crossbows, maces, and lances from horseback reduce the effectiveness of armor by one point.

Called Shots

Instead of consulting the injury chart as normal, combatants may aim for a specific injury. In that case, consult the Injury table’s “Called Shot Dice” column. In the case of hand to hand combat, the defender of the called shot rolls that many extra dice. In the case of ranged combat, the shooter rolls that many extra dice and chooses the highest roll. If the attacker still succeeds, the desired injury takes effect.

Injury Chart

Injury to:

First Hit

Second Hit

Third Hit

Called Shot Dice

1-3

Legs

Temporary disadvantage on Dex-related rolls

Disadvantage on Dex-related rolls until healed

Disabled, dead in 2d4 rounds if not stabilized

1

4-5

Arms

Temporary disadvantage on Str-related rolls

Disadvantage on Str-related rolls until healed

Disabled, dead in 2d4 rounds if not stabilized

1

6-7

Torso

Disabled, dead in 2d4 rounds if not stabilized

Dead

-

2

8-9

Head

Dead

-

-

3

Healing takes d4 weeks after a “Second Hit” and 2d4 weeks after a “Third Hit.”